Toy



Dec. 17, 1946.

D. SULLIVAN TOY Filed June 1:3, 1944 mmvrox. my: .rmmw W Z Patented Dec. 17, 1946 TOY Doris Sullivan, San Francisco, Calif.

Application June 13, 1944, Serial No. 540,012

Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in a toy, and its principal object is to provide a toy for children of tender age, say between two and five years, which will be entertaining and educational.

More particularly, it is proposed to provide a toy which will aid a child in learning the letters of the alphabet and the sequence of the numerals in the decimal system, or, with variations, any established or desired sequence of characters.

It is further proposed to provide a toy which will give a child many outlets for its desire to be active, such as the mere playing with and grouping and re-grouping of a number of flat bodies, in the form of discs or squares, having diiferent characters marked thereon; studying a chart having places marked for the different bodies; making color and size comparisons; arranging the characters in a predetermined order, threading the string through the various objects to join the same into a chain; makin the chain to come out even with the configurations on the chart; and picking up, without effort, the sequence of the letters of the alphabet or of the numerals used for counting.

It is further proposed to provide a toy of the character described that is simple in construction,

attractive in appearance, and whichmay be manufactured very inexpensively.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds. and the novel features of my toy will be fully defined in the claims hereto attached.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming part of this application in which:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of my toy, with a number of movable bodies in 'place and other omitted;

Figure 2, a fragmentary section taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3, a plan view of a movable body used in my toy; and

Figure 4, a plan view of a second movable body used in the toy.

While I have shown onl the preferred form of my invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my toy comprises in its principal features, a backing or chart I and a plurality of fiat bodies indicated at 2 and 3, some being in the form of circular discs and 2 others in the form of squares. It is apparent that any other form or figures might be substituted without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The discs have been selected, in the present instance, to carry the letters of the alphabet, and the squares to carry the numbers of the decimal system, from one to ten. Thus, naturally. twenty-six discs would be provided and ten squares.

The discs are made to progressively increase in size from the letters A to M, and to progressively decrease in size from the letters N to Z; and the two groups are made in distinguishin colors, say, the first group in red and the second group in green.

The squares which carry the numbers one to ten, are also made to progressively increase insize, and are preferably made in a distinctive color, as, for instance, 111 blue.

Each of the discs and squares is formed with two holes, indicated at 4, disposed on opposite sides of the character marked thereon, so that a string may be threaded therethrough without hiding part of the character. The discs and squares are preferably made of heavy paper or cardboard, but may be made of more substantial material.

The backing or chart I is preferably made rectangular in form, of considerable length as compared with its height, and is confined between its side edges 5 and top and bottom edges 6 and 1.

The chart has a central fold-line 8 whereby one side may be folded over the other. In actual size, it may be three times larger than the figure shown in the drawing. It may be made colored to furnish a dark contrasting background for the squares and discs.

The backing or chart has three series of configurations 9, l0 and H marked thereon, each series extending across the sheet from left'to right and being arranged to clear the fold-line.

The upper series of configurations comprises a. plurality of circles l2 arranged in alined relation, the circles increasing progressively in size from left to right and being made to exactly correspond in size to the respective discs marked A to M, so that each disc, when in its proper place, will completely cover, and be co-extensive with, the circle over which it is positioned.

On the other hand, if the particular disc is placed on any other circle, it will not fit the same, being either too large or too small.

Thus, a child, picking up any disc of the A to M series, say the letter K, can readily find the proper place for the disc by the trial and error method. The upper series of circles are preferably drawn in the same color as the discs of the upper series, that is, red in the present instance, to inform the player that the discs A to M belong to the top series.

The second series l consists of a line of circles l3 progressively decreasing in size from left to right and corresponding in size to the discs marked N to Z respectively. They are drawn in the same color as the discs of the second series, namely green, in contradistinction of the first series.

The third series of configurations comprises a" line of squares M, increasing progressively in size from left to right and corresponding in size to the square bodies 3 carrying the numerals. They again are preferably of the same color as the square bodies.

Each side edge of the chart has three strings l5secured thereto by glue or otherwise in alinement with the three series of configurations, and these strings may be threaded through the discs or squares in the manner indicated so as to form a chain which allows a number of discs or squares to be manipulated as a unit.

The strings may be tied in the center of the backing, as at 16, and in that case hold all the discs or squares of aseries in assembled relation. The strings of the second and third rows have been shown fore-shortened, and should be suificiently long for tying.

If all the discs and squares are strung in this manner, they give a complete arrangement of the alphabet and of the numerals up to ten. On the other hand, they are all secured in place and cannot get lostif the backing'is folded and put away.

,Themany features of interest and education offered the growing child by this toy areapparent.

The child may merely play with the discs and squares by arranging and re-arranging them to suit his fancy which will cause him to absorb the shapes ofthe letters and figures. The child may pick up individual discs and squares and find the proper place for them on the backing, gradually learning the sequence of groups of letters and the sequence of groups of figures and finally of all the letters and figures.

After arranging all the letters of one series in their proper places the child may thread them on the strings and may then lift an entire string of letters or figures and replace the same, as a unit. a

It is apparent that various other shapes may be substituted for those selected for the purposes of illustration without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A childs toy comprising a backing having an alined series of configurations arranged thereon, a series of pieces adapted for superimposing on said configurations, each piece having a distinguishing character marked thereon and having a hole on each side of the character, and a.

4 string attached to the backing in alinement with the series and adapted for threading through the pieces and beneath the characters so as to leave the latter fully exposed.

2. A childs toy comprising a backing having an alined series of difierent blank configurations arranged thereon, a corresponding series of pieces having outlines corresponding to the respective configurations, eachpiece having a distinguishing character marked thereon so-as to present the characters in a desired sequence when each piece is placed on its companion configuration, and each piece having a hole on each side of its character, and a string attached to the backing in alinement with the series and adaptedior threading through the pieces and beneath the characters for holding the pieces in assembled relation with the'characters fully exposed.

- 3. An educational game comprising a series of differentiated play pieces, each having a differentiating character of an established system marked thereon and having a hole on each side of the character, and the play pieces being capable of being arranged in the order of the system, a sheet of material having a similar series of similarly differentiated blank fields marked thereon in related order, the order of the fields lbeing suchthat when each play piece is placed on its corresponding field, the characters of the play pieces assume the order of .the system, and a string attached to the sheet in alinement with the series of the fields and adapted for threading through the play pieces and beneath the characters so as to leave the latter fully exposed.

4. An educational game comprising a series of differentiated play pieces, each having a difierentiating letter of the alphabet marked thereon and having a hole on each side of the letter, a sheet of material having a similar series of similarly difierentiated blank fields marked thereon in related order, the order of the fields being such that when each play piece is placed on the corresponding field, the letters marked thereon will assume the letters of the alphabet, and a string attached to the sheet in alinement with the series of fields and adapted for threading through the play pieces and beneath the letters so as to leave the latter fully exposed.

5. An educational game comprising a series of differentiated play pieces, each having a differ. entiating numeral of the decimal system marked thereon and having a hole on each side of the numeral, a sheet of material having av similar series of similarly differentiated blank fields marked thereon in related order, the order of the fields being. such that when each play, piece is placed on the corresponding field, the numerals marked thereon are arranged in the order of the decimal system, and a string attached to the sheet in alinement with the series of fields and adapted for threading through the play pieces and beneath the numerals so as to leave the latter fully exposed. H

DORIS SULLIVAN. 

